Daily Readings - Thu Jan 07 2021

¹⁹Therefore, let us love God, for God first loved us.²⁰If anyone says that he loves God, but hates his brother, then he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he does see, in what way can he love God, whom he does not see²¹And this is the commandment that we have from God, that he who loves God must also love his brother

Chapter 5

¹Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And everyone who loves God, who provides that birth, also loves him who has been born of God²In this way, we know that we love those born of God: when we love God and do his commandments³For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not heavy⁴For all that is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world: our faith

Luke

Chapter 4

¹⁴And Jesus returned, in the power of the Spirit, into Galilee. And his fame spread throughout the entire region¹⁵And he taught in their synagogues, and he was magnified by everyone¹⁶And he went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. And he entered into the synagogue, according to his custom, on the Sabbath day. And he rose up to read¹⁷And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. And as he unrolled the book, he found the place where it was written¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because of this, he has anointed me. He has sent me to evangelize the poor, to heal the contrite of heart¹⁹to preach forgiveness to captives and sight to the blind, to release the broken into forgiveness, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of retribution.²⁰And when he had rolled up the book, he returned it to the minister, and he sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him²¹Then he began to say to them, "On this day, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.²²And everyone gave testimony to him. And they wondered at the words of grace that proceeded from his mouth. And they said, "Is this not the son of Joseph?

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are reminded of the profound connection between love, faith, and action. The first reading from 1 John emphasizes that true love for God is inseparable from love for our neighbor. John writes, “If anyone says he loves God but hates his brother, he is a liar.” This passage underscores the importance of living out our faith through tangible acts of love and kindness. It also highlights the victory of faith over the challenges of the world, a victory rooted in keeping God’s commandments. The Gospel from Luke presents Jesus’ mission statement, as He reads from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth. Jesus declares that He has been anointed to bring good news to the poor, healing to the brokenhearted, and freedom to those oppressed. This passage is not just a description of Jesus’ ministry but also an invitation for us to participate in His mission. Just as Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in His time, we are called to fulfill it in ours by living as instruments of God’s love and justice in the world. These readings remind us that faith is not merely a feeling or a belief but a way of life. To love God is to love our neighbor, and to follow Christ is to serve those in need. Let us reflect on how we can embody this love and mission in our daily lives. Are we using our talents, resources, and time to bring light and hope to those around us? Let us ask for the grace to live out our faith with courage and compassion, trusting that God’s commandments are not burdensome but transformative. In doing so, we become part of the victory that overcomes the world—the victory of love and faith.